Only Child Problems

I've reactivated this podcast. Listen to here what's in store for 2023.

In this brief episode, I let you know about our upcoming series where we have conversations with other adult only children. We'll discuss their upbringing as an only child, with an emphasis on the dynamic they had with their parents. We'll discuss how that relationship has evolved as they transitioned into adulthood. We'll also talk about the role they anticipate playing in their aging parents' lives and how that factors into their aspirations for their own lives (career, family, etc.).

In this episode, we discuss a few estate planning lessons we can take away from the Late Princess Diana. This week, Oprah Winfrey's interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle dominated the news and social media. During the conversation, Prince Harry mentioned that he is living off of the inheritance left for him by his mother, Princess Diana. I researched some of the details of her estate plan and it's execution, and developed these takeaways based on what Princess Diana did well and what could have been better: 1) Have An Estate Plan 2) Have Your Estate Plan Created By Attorney/Lawyer Who Specializes In This Area and 3) Be Thoughtful About Who You Designate As The Executor And Trustee Of Your Will Or Trust

Replay of Episode 9, which is Part 2 of an interview Dr. Barbara Darby. In this interview, Dr. Darby discusses how she is planning in advance for her future as she ages, and how she's preparing her adult only child accordingly.

Replay of Episode 8, which is the first of a two-part interview with Dr. Barbara Darby. In this episode, Dr. Darby discusses advance planning for her own future as she ages, especially as the parent of an only child. We discuss how her own childhood shaped her views on and actions towards life planning. We also discuss her experiences as the caregiver to several family members, including her role as guardian to an uncle and the steps she had to take in order to protect his well-being and his assets.I also share information on my Facebook community, "Successful Professionals Preparing Early For Their Parent's Future." Click here to join: http://bit.ly/2R4A2x8

In this episode, I discuss the importance of developing the habit of prioritizing yourself in order to be the best caregiver possible to your aging parents when it's time to step into that role. I bust what I consider to be a myth about self-care and discuss what I kind to be a better way to define and practice it. In terms of how we go about developing this habit of self-prioritization, or self-care, I discuss the importance of starting small. To do this, I recommend the philosophy of and strategy defined in the book "The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results" by Gary Keller with Jay Papasan.

A brief, special episode acknowledging the current events in the U.S. on January 6, 2021. I will be back next week with the first official episode of 2021.

In today's episode I share my reflections and learnings from 2020 and I invite you to reflect along with me! I also share my intentions for the last few days of the year and my plans for 2021.

Today I talk clarify who is an "only child" in response to questions I've received or comments I've heard in response to the purpose of my podcast. I also mentioned that those who are NOT only children but who anticipate being the sole or primary caregiver to aging parents are welcome to join my Facebook Community for ANYONE who faces this future role. Click here to join: http://bit.ly/2R4A2x8

My reflections on why, particularly in 2020, it's important to be intentional about creating traditions and memories for which we are grateful. I share my perspective on why this is especially important for adult only children to do, and the rewards of it for both you and your aging parents.

This a quick reminder to find balance in planning for your future role as caregiver to your parents. It's important to position yourself well in the present so that you are prepared for the transition in your role in your parents' lives. It's critical that you grow and maintain your own assets so that caring for your parents doesn't come at the expense of your well-being, which would ultimately adversely impact your ability to assist them.

While freedom from debt is beneficial to us all, it's especially critical for the adult only child. When we carry debt, we limit our ability to financially invest in our future. As only children, we will most likely become the sole caregiver to our parents one day, and we have to be prepared. It must be a priority for us to take advantage of the present to fully invest in the life we want for ourselves. It also better positions us to help our parents as they age, especially if they might need financial assistance from us. The more we have in the present to invest in our future, the fewer unexpected, unwanted compromises we'll have to make in our own financial lives in order to provide a safe, healthy, secure future for our aging parents. In this episode, I discuss three specific strategies for debt elimination and redirecting those funds towards our dreams and goals: 1) Snowball 2) Avalanche 3) SnowflakeHere's a link to the article by Cameron Huddleston (guest on Episode 7) that I reference during the episode: https://dollarsprout.com/how-parents-finances-could-become-your-liability/

We have just under 90 days left in 2020. This is still enough time to substantially improve your financial life in order to better position yourself in the present, as well as for a time in which you'll take a more active role in your parents' lives in their post-retirement and senior years. I include ways to help your parents create a safe, secure and healthy future for themselves. The tips span from estate planning to emergency planning to weekly actions that could significantly improve your own financial position. I reference the 2020 "One Tweak A Week Challenge" from the Afford Anything Podcast. Click here to download the challenge:https://affordanything.com/one-tweak-a-week/

I talk about my recent and first visit home with my parents since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges with balancing working remotely and spending quality time with them. I discuss some pitfalls I ran into and my strategy for finding time to advance my work while also assisting them with their needs and simply enjoying the time with them.

I was named executor to my father's estate in his will. Upon his death, I learned the hard way the importance of understanding in advance all that the role entails, state-specific requirements, and when it's necessary to reevaluate your decision to take on this role.

I discuss an unpleasant surprise I received while planning my father's funeral with respect to life insurance. I walk you through that discovery and how I navigated it, as well as what I would have done differently in terms of communications with my father regarding his affairs, estate planning and other personal business matters.I also briefly discussed my Facebook Community called "Successful Professionals Preparing Early For Their Parents' Future". Click here to join for free: http://bit.ly/2R4A2x8I'd love to hear from you. Please email any questions, concerns, or topics of interest: onlychildproblemspodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I chat with Milagros Brown on the ways in which growing up as an only child has benefitted her while we quarantined in response to the Coronavirus pandemic. We discuss many topics, most notably the pandemic’s impact on her roles as a parent, wife, child and entrepreneur.Milagros is compassionate and immensely creative. In her own words, she is a maker of things for little kids. She cares about the state of the world. And she also likes beautiful things and spaces. You can follow her journey and stay abreast of her upcoming business venture via Instagram: @petitepartyanimal

There's been much talk about Gen Xers being able to handle the Coronavirus Quarantine well. But what about only children?! In this episode, I chat with April Preyar, a fellow only child, about how she tapped into our familiarity with "alone time" to thrive during this quarantine. We also discuss how she has leveraged her professional experience to eliminate racial inequity in the U.S. criminal justice system. In addition to being a successful criminal law attorney with 20 years of experience, she is an adjunct law professor, social media vlogger, Know Your Rights educator and boardgame developer. She is also a published author and visual artist. To learn more about April's work, and access her valuable content, visit: https://www.facebook.com/AttorneyPreyarhttps://www.justusjunkie.com/

The international response to the death of George Floyd, and the statistics on COVID-19 patients in the United States by race have elevated awareness of racial inequalities in the U.S. In this episode, I discuss the need to address the racial wealth and healthcare gaps through estate planning, as well as the cost of not doing so. Here's a link to the McKinsey Study I reference:https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/public-sector/our-insights/the-economic-impact-of-closing-the-racial-wealth-gap#

In the second of a two-part interview, Dr. Barbara Darby gives planning advice to parents of only children, as well as to adult only children. She shares the steps she’s taken to plan for her own future in an effort to position her only child be well-prepared to serve as her caregiver as she ages and at the end of her life. Dr. Darby also shares insights as a leader in the field of nursing. Topics covered include: long term care, retirement planning, end-of-life matters, having conversation with your adult children or with your parents, and planning for adults who are single and have no children.To purchase an autographed copy of Dr. Darby’s book “My Leadership Journey: Wisdom from the Trenches”, email her at: drbarbara9@gmail.comYou can purchase the book without an autograph at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999840681/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_i8XZEbCPPQEBWAdditional Resources:Resources to assist you and your parents in being proactive about their future and yours: https://cameronhuddleston.com/resources/Click here to join my Facebook community, "Successful Professionals Preparing Early For Their Parent's Future”: http://bit.ly/2R4A2x8

In the first of a two-part interview, Dr. Barbara Darby discusses her advance planning for her own future as she ages, especially as the parent of an only child. We discuss how her own childhood shaped her views on and actions towards life planning. We also discuss her experiences as the caregiver to several family members, including her role as guardian to an uncle and the steps she had to take in order to protect his well-being and his assets.I also share information on my Facebook community, "Successful Professionals Preparing Early For Their Parent's Future." Click here to join: http://bit.ly/2R4A2x8

Those I know personally have been impacted by COVID19. So I'm doubling down on the need to have things in place such as a living will. I encourage you go listen or relisten to Episode 7 where Cameron Huddleston and I discuss living wills and other items we should have in place for our parents' lives and our own. The impact of COVID-19 highlights why these things are important.

On this episode I speak with award-winning personal finance journalist Cameron Huddleston about her book, Mom and Dad, We Need to Talk. We discuss why, when and how to talk to your parents about financial resources that will support them as they retire and age. Cameron shares what she did well and could have done better with regard to having money talks with her mother. She also mentions resources available to help our parents, even if they are not wealthy and have not sufficiently planned for life upon and past retirement. We discuss this with the unique considerations that adult only children must take into account when assisting their parents. Topics covered include: caring for aging parents, retirement planning, long term care, and estate planning. For information on Cameron’s book, and free resources, please visit:https://cameronhuddleston.com/resources/Please listen to the episodes for instructions on a chance to win a copy of Cameron’s book. Confirmation of your post of a review of the episode must be emailed to onlychildproblemspodcast@gmail.com. The recipient of the book will be announced on Wednesday, April 8th, 2020.

In this special episode, we discuss how to acknowlege and then reframe our fears for our parents' health in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic. I discuss my own concerns, and how I shifted the focus away from the things I cannot control toward actionable items that help me protect my parents.

This episode provides a very brief overview on what's in store over the next few months with the podcast.

I shared a tip on how to obtain valuable information from your parents' about their lives based on a recent personal experience.

In this episode I share my own experience as an example of finding opportunities to have life planning conversations with your parents. I also discuss the helpful actions my father took to help prepare me for his future.

Recap of my 2019 and the importance self-care and balance played in nagivating life after my father's death, and the importance it should play in 2020 for all adult only children seeking to build a life they love while preparing for their future role as sole caregiver to aging parents.

In this episode, a long-time friend and fellow only child, Worokya Duncan, interviews me about my journey and my "why."

In this episode, I discuss my "why" for creating this podcast. I discuss my journey from initial concept through actual launch, and the personal life experiences that pushed me to stop procrastinating.

Only Child Problems Podcast is coming soon! Listen to the trailer to learn what you can expect. Learn more at http://onlychildproblems.com/